Thriving With Fibromyalgia

If you've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia (sometimes referred to as "fibro" here - just for the sake of brevity), or if you think you might have it - or you've been wrestling with chronic pain of any variety - this Hub's for you! I'll update this Hub as frequently as possible with content such as:

• Scientific news about breakthroughs in chronic pain/fibro management
• Coping tips for those dealing with fibro and chronic pain
• New articles about fibro or managing your illness/treatment plan
• Anything else that seems relevant!

Pain Management:

• Warm baths
• Massage therapy
• Trigger point massage
• Heat packs (rice bags, heating pads, etc.)
• Constructive rest position: lie on back, pillows propped under knees, arms crossed over chest or abdomen or lying palms up by side (whatever feels comfortable), eyes closed
• Restorative yoga (Hub coming soon on this topic!)

Managing Work and Family Stress:

• Know your limits
• Take advantage of laws designed to protect your rights - Americans with Disasbilities Act, Family & Medical Leave Act, state laws
• Keep a journal of your experience with fibro. Note your pain level using a scale that makes sense to you, identify location of painful spots, track your responses and whether the response was helpful, and note especially your diet, sleep/rest, and any unusually stressful occurrences. This helps you understand your symptoms and predict them much better.

Managing Relationships:

• Explain the syndrome to your family and loved ones. They deserve to know what your limits are, and how you're managing your symptoms.
• Understand that fibro is stressful for them, too. Seeing a loved one in pain - knowing there's nothing they can do, no cure - it creates a lot of sadness and stress for people who make up a fibro patient's support network.
• Don't neglect your friends and loved ones. Reach out and let them help you - and return the favor as much as you can. Social support is just as important to your overall health and wellbeing as any medication or treatment plan.

Pain medication may, indeed, be a vital part of your treatment plan. The risk of addiction to opioid-type medications may be somewhat overstated in the popular or main-stream media, and should not be confused with the concept of dependency, which is a physical process by which the body becomes "used to" and tolerant of the medication. Addiction is dangerous; dependency isn't necessarily dangerous.

The types of medications prescribed for fibro patients range from muscle relaxants to opioids, to antidepressants, sleep medication, NSAIDs, and sedatives. Some of the most commonly-prescribed medicines used for treatment of fibromyalgia:

• Ultracet (TM) or Ultram (tramadol) plus acetaminophen (TylenolTM)) - mild opioid

• Flexeril - muscle relaxant
• Lyrica - recently approved by FDA for fibro treatment (chemically similar to antiseizure meds)
• Sleep medications such as Lunesta, Ambien, and the like

Don't be afraid to talk to your doctor about medications. If your doctor dismisses the use of medication for chronic pain, consider getting another doctor. You have the right to explore all appropriate treatments, and a physician who won't consider appropriate meds is not doing his or her job.

On August 31, 2007, fibro patients everywhere are going to find a new friend and a great new place to gather and share stories! The Fibro Follies is part blog, part website, part portal-into-the-world-of-fibro on the web.

Bookmark the site now - at http://www.fibrofollies.com - and make a note to come back on August 31st for a host of new content on fibro and how to thrive, not just survive!